Why should you walk 30 minutes a day ?

We explained the main benefits of everyday walking in a previous article and if you've found yourself back on our blog, it's because you believe us ;-). Besides, we are not the only ones talking about everyday walking, as the French National Nutrition and Health Programme (PNNS) recommends walking 30 minutes a day in its campaigns. Fair enough, you say, why but this recommendation in particular?

Why 30 minutes? Read on for some answers!

To start with, I don't know about you but I was under the impression that you had to walk a total of 30 minutes a day to meet this recommendation… In reality, that's not quite it!

You need to walk an extra 30 minutes on top of what you normally walk! But don't worry, we already walk more than 6,000 steps per day every day and an additional 30 minutes is only 3,000 to 4,000 extra steps! It is therefore easily possible to walk 10,000 steps per day as recommended by the Japanese doctor Yoshiro Hatano, renowned health sciences and sports* professor and researcher and expert in the study of the practice and benefits of walking. In Japan, a great deal of importance is given to going out for walks and this doctor has shown that it lets you stay in better health!

Alright, but why 30 minutes of brisk walking per day and not something else?

This is the threshold defined by PNNS studies! From 30 minutes a day in addition to your regular walking, physical activity (walking, moving around, etc.) starts being good for you!

This keeps you generally fit and healthy, but also improves your physical condition (by building muscles, promoting blood circulation and keeping you flexible, for example). Nothing but good news then! And the icing on the cake is that you don't have to walk the 30 minutes all at once! You are free to schedule your walking however you like! So, no panic, with your daily activities and few minor adjustments, you should soon be able to add on those extra 30 minutes!

This level is good for health as it is regular and on a daily basis. 30 extra minutes of walking per day are therefore more effective than doing one intensive activity on Sundays, although doing one need not stop you from doing the other. Note that for children, the recommendation is 1 hour per day, even if our kids often do much more than this without needing to be told! ;-)

Walking, the most accessible physical activity.

Many sports activities are, of course, beneficial to health but walking is recommended because it is effective and is one of the easiest to do on a daily basis!

Obviously, if you do more than 30 minutes a day, that's great! The more you walk, the better it is for your body (read our article on the 6 benefits of everyday walking).

So, how much do you think you walk every day?What are your tricks for walking more?

Whether you want to lose weight, tone your body or get back in shape, walking has the benefit of not putting excessive strain on your joints.Its benefits are not only physical because walking also has benefits for your health: this is a simple and effective sport for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. So, why not take advantage of all the benefits of walking?